Emergency valve



Jan. 28, TEMPLE EMERGENCY VALVE Filed Feb. 3, 1944 ll EM WITNESSES: INVENIOR 5 W- @M 7 A W BY b/ aw uJuLKZow-V- 4J A TORN EYS.

atenterl Jan. 28, i4?

EMERGENCY VALVE Robert Temple, Swissvale, Pa, assignor to Temple Velocity Equipment, Inc, Wilmington, Del., a

corporation of Delaware Application February 3, 1944, Serial bio. 520,837

This invention relates to valves, and more particuiarly to those adapted for use in case of emergency. V

Circumstances often arise which make it desirable to connect a conduit to a receptacle or chamber so that a liquid, gas, or vapor may either be withdrawn or supplied thereto, but there may be no available connection to which the conduit can be attached. Thus, it sometimes becomes impossible, for one reason or another, to withdraw fluid from a tank or other container through its outlet valve. An example of this is sunken oil tankers whose valves, because of the position of the ships or obstructions, can not be reached.-

Yet, of course, it is desirable to salvage the oil by pumping itup into empty tankers. The dimcuities attendant upon trying to install new valves in exposed locations under such conditions will be obvious.

It is among'the objects of this invention to provide an emergency valve which can readily be connected to a container, which is easily installed under water, which does not permit lluid to flow into or out of the container during its-installation, which is easily operated and controlled, and which is simple and inexpensive.

These and other objects of this invention are attained by providing a perforating member which is adapted to be projected through a wall of a container and which has a fluid passage through it. This member preferably is in the form of a projectile-like stud that can be shot into the wall of the container by an explosively actuated tool. The tight engagement of the perforating member with the container wall will prevent flow of fluid between them, andthis member carries means for normally closing the passage through it. A separate hollow coupling is provided which is formed for connection to the outer end of the perforating member after it has been driven into the container wall. This cou- 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-91) pling is provided with a passage communicating at one end with the outer-end of the passage through the perforating member and having its other end adapted to be connected by a suitable conduit to a pump or the like for removing fluid from the container or for supplying a fluid to it. In order to open the passage through the percl ng. The passage preferably is closed by a screw plug which is unscrewed by the manually operable means and removed thereby from thedriven into a container wall; Fig.2 is a plan view,

partly broken away, of the closed valve assembled; and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectiontaken on the line III-III of Fig. 2 showing the valve opened. Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a portion of the wall l of a tank or other container which may be full of a fluid, such as oil, has been penetrated by a perforating member in the form of a pointed stud 2. This stud was most suitably driven into the container wall by the-force of a detonated explosive charge in an explosively ac,- tuated tool such, for example, as shown in my Patent No. 2,213,435. The stud is provided with an axial passage 3 extending inwardly from its outer end to a point where it is connected by a plurality of radial openings 4 with the inside of the container. The outer end portion of the stud is threaded, and this thread may be extended inwardly to formteeth 5 for biting into the container wall and also for restraining the stud from being driven too far through the wall, The outer end portion of the stud passage wall likewise is threaded, and a sealing plug B (Fig; 2) is screwed into the passage to close it. This plug isin place when the stud is driven into the container wall so that the oil in the container can not escape at that time through the stud.

After the stud has been driven into place the coupling In, shown in Fig. 2, is connected to its outer end. The coupling has an inlet passage H in axial alignment with the sealing plug, and one or more outlet passages l2 that connect with the inlet passage at an angle, preferably of 90. The

forating member after it has been connected by i fluid can flow in either direction, as the case may be, through the perforating member and the cououter ends" of the outlet passages are threaded for connection to conduits (not shown) by which the coupling can be connected to a pump or directly to a suitable receiver for the fluid from the container; The inlet passage has an enlarged threaded endso that the coupling can be screwed onto the stud with a copper sealing washer l3 compressed between the stud and a shoulder formed in the coupling. Outwardly beyond outlet passages I2 there is a recess I 4 met ic formed by a continuation of the inlet passage. ,The outer end of this recess is connected with the outside of the coupling by a reduced opening in which a stem I6 is rotatably and slidably mounted. Leakage'around the stem is prevented by pack ing material l1 (Fig. 3) held in place by a packing nut I8 screwed onto the outer end of the coupling. The stem is retained in the coupling by a collar IS on its inner end portion whichstrikes against a shoulder at the outer end of recess It. The outer end of this stem carries a hand wheel 20 by which the stem can be rotated and reciprocated in the coupling.

In order to enable the valve to be opened after the coupling has been attached to the stud, the inner end of stem I6 is provided with a tapered projection 22 that is adapted to be pushed by the stem into frictional engagement with the wall of a socket 23 formed in the outer end of sealing plug 6. Preferably, the tapered projection and the socket are non-circular in cross section to assure unscrewing of the plug from the stud when the stem is rotated by its hand wheel. After the plug has been unscrewed from th stud, the stem is pulled out in the coupling to carry the plug away from the stud passage 3 and into recess 14,

as shown in Fig. 3, where it will not obstruct the passages through the coupling. This fully opens the valve so that the fluid in the container can be pumped or drained out through the stud and coupling. With a closed containerunder water, such as a sunken oil tanker, another valve of this same type should be connected to the tank and to conduits extending up above the water to provide an air intake as the oil is pumped out of the tank.

It will be seen that by using a valve of the character disclosed herein the wall of a fluid container can readily be penetrated by the stud in any location without the fiuid escaping. The coupling can then be attached to the stud and connected by delivery conduits to any desirable receptacle. After all is ready, the sealing plug is removed from the stud so that the fluid in the container can be transferred to the receptacle without losing any of it and without its being contaminated by surrounding air or water. or course, if desired, the valve can be closed again at any time 4 r by merely pushing stem l6 inwardly of the coupling and then rotating it to screw plug 6 into the stud passage to seal it. Of course,- several of these valves may be used at the same time, and they can serve as inlet valves as well as outlets. The claims herein define'the valve as if fluid were flowing outwardly through it, but it is to be understood that the direction of fiow of the-fluid through the valve has no bearing on the inven-' tion and that the claims cover the valve regardless of direction of fluid flow.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment.- However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

An emergency valve for attachment to a heavy walled fluid container for withdrawing the fluid therefrom, said valve comprising an exteriorly threaded perforating member adapted to be shot into said wall to penetrate it, part of said exterior thread being adapted to bite into said wall to hold said member in place in sealing engagement with the wall, said member having a passage there through for escape of fluid from the container,

a threaded sealing plug normally screwed into the outer end of said passage, a separate hollow coupling having a threaded inlet for screwing onto the outer end of said member after the latter has penetrated the container wall, said coupling having an-outlet communicating with its 

